Insight or B.S., that's the sort of thing that starts trickling out when the season's slipping away, or when a coach is losing the room. The latter may be happening; the former definitely is happening.

But would firing Jacques Martin turn those fortunes around?

Let it be said that, right about now, Martin's popularity ranks somewhere between cat vomit and a parking violation ticket.

The Canadiens have lost their first five games at home for the first time in over a century, which is either a tribute to their historic success or a damnation of this current collection.

Martin's been cast as befuddled, clueless, unable to motivate his players. Credit for the Habs' success in recent years has been handed to former assistant Kirk Muller, now in the AHL, because he was in charge of special teams units that are now quite bad without him there. It's all very Jacques Martin as Dubya and Muller as Dick Cheney.

Is there any way out for Martin from under this media/fans gang-tackle?

Devil's advocate for a moment: What if the Canadiens kept Jacques Martin? To wit:

He's Earned a Benefit of the Doubt. Say what you will about the man, but he's 2-for-2 in playoff appearances and had a 44-win season with nearly the same roster … except for the changes on the blue line. Which brings us to …

If some pundits are willing to give Scott Arniel a break in Columbus because Carter and Wisniewski were injured, the injuries to the blue line of the Canadiens, in this defensive system of Martin's, should buy him some leeway, no?

His Scorers Aren't, You Know, Scoring. The knock on Martin is that his system chokes the life out of offensive creativity. The Habs had a goals-for average of 2.57 last season, 21st in the NHL. Seven of the nine teams behind them missed the playoffs.

But this season, it's on the players so far. Scott Gomez(notes) has an assist in six games. Travis Moen(notes) is leading the team with four goals. TRAVIS MOEN! Looking at this roster, would you put the responsibility for the team's staggering offensive start on the coach or the roster's construction?

What's The Alternative? Sure, fearing the lesser of two evils is still fear. Yeah, the best course of action is sometimes simply avoiding inaction.

Does Kirk Muller have an out-clause in Milwaukee? Is it too late to trade two first rounders to Boston for Claude Julien?

Oy vey … pretty difficult to mount any defense for a team that isn't playing any right now. (And please, people: Just like pinning the Blue Jackets' mess on Steve Mason(notes) is misguided, tossing Carey Price(notes) under the bus is lazy. Watch the games — it's not on him, despite the save percentage.)

Martin is inching closer and closer to the volcano's edge, ready to be sacrificed for this team's intrinsic problems. Pierre Gauthier isn't going to push him in before making a significant trade, most likely for a defenseman. But the natives are beyond restless.